Friday, January 9 Noon - 1:00 PM Session B: DH12: TV Networks and Interactivity: Evolving Content & Business Models TV networks have embraced interactivity for almost a decade, both with standalone Website content and synchronized, Enhanced TV content. Much has changed over that time, including technological barriers, assumptions about consumer preferences, business models, and the economic climate for interactive experimentation. What's working and what's not? What can the industry expect to see over the next 24 months? Is there a future for synchronized content, or is "interactive TV" destined to be only about VOD and SVOD? In this session we bring together top programming executives and creators who are dealing with what it means to leverage and extend their on-air television programming to the Internet or into the Interactive TV space. Matt Murphy, Vice President, Interactive Sales, ESPN Marcia Zellers, Director, Enhanced Television, American Film Institute John P. Roberts, Senior Vice President Interactive & Online Entertainment, Game Show Network Rob Hayes, VP of New Media, Showtime Networks Ryan O'Hara, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning, Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. Stuart Rohrer, Vice President, New Media & Interactive Television, MagRack, Rainbow Media Brian Seth Hurst, President, Opportunity Management Company, Moderator Matt Murphy, vice president, interactive sales, is responsible for managing and developing sales and marketing strategies for ESPN's on-demand television services including video-on-demand, pay-per-view and on-screen interactive enhancements. He also oversees ESPN Broadband, the network's rich, high-speed Internet offering and the company's "ESPN Everywhere" initiative to provide video in areas outside the home including airplanes and retail stores. Murphy is based at ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Conn. Murphy has held various positions within the affiliate sales and marketing department at ESPN including most recently vice president, alternative technology and new media sales, where he was responsible for ESPN's pay-per-view business and special markets affiliates. Prior to that, Murphy was director, northeast region, where he was responsible for corporate accounts including Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and Insight as well systems within the New York City DMA. He joined ESPN as an account executive, eastern division in March 1993. Murphy earned a bachelor of arts degree in European History from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Marcia Zellers is the Director of Enhanced Television for the American Film Institute (AFI). Beginning its sixth year, AFI’s Enhanced TV Workshop has produced 40+ enhanced TV prototypes. AFI’s eTV Workshop has become the gathering place for the American eTV creative and technology communities, and is renowned as the premier environment for eTV exploration and development. Zellers has pursued the challenge of a cutting edge, consumer-friendly marriage of television and interactivity since she joined MTV Interactive’s New York headquarters as a founding member in 1994. As a Senior Producer and Director heading up all MTV’s music-related Web strategy, programming and development, creative direction, talent relations, and convergence programming with MTV’s on-air operations, Zellers created and produced some of the earliest enhanced TV programming. Early pioneering examples, which aired on TV, include a split screen production incorporating simultaneous live Web chat with Michael Jackson, Jackson videos, and highlights of Jackson’s career; the Red Hot Chili Peppers live at Madison Square Garden, with simultaneous roaming backstage cameras broadcasting live to the Web; and Janet Jackson on MTV’s Total Request Live interacting on air with viewers on the Web. In 1999 Zellers moved to Los Angeles, where she spearheaded Warner Bros. Online’s Entertaindom project, one of the Web’s then-highest profile entertainment destinations and the first planned broadcast-style distribution model. (Entertaindom was intended to showcase both Time-Warner and non-Time-Warner programming.) As Supervising Producer, she oversaw all aspects of the department and helped develop original programming intended for eventual cross-platform and enhanced development. Zellers has been a new media consultant for entities like New Line Cinema and composer Giorgio Moroder, and previous to AFI was the Vice President of Web Development and Creative Director for Greater Relations Worldwide, a nascent dotcom. Zellers is also a published writer and editor, and has an eclectic background that includes publishing, marketing, advertising, fundraising, and stock brokerage. Ryan O'Hara, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning, Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc.: Ryan O’Hara serves as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Planning for Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. Mr. O’Hara focuses on business planning, operational development and corporate deal making for the Company’s publishing, cable and satellite and consumer electronic offerings. Prior to joining the Company in June 2002, Mr. O’Hara was Director of Interactive TV Strategy and Development for another News Corporation related-entity BSKYB, based in London. Mr. O’Hara focused on the integration of the 400-person company OpenTV, which was purchased by BSKYB in June of 2000 and later became the interactive TV unit for BSKYB. He also worked with broadcasters, such as MTV, Sky Sports and Disney, and technology companies, such as NDS, OpenTV and Astra, to build out BSKYB's interactive television offering. And he managed the marketing and launch of several interactive television products that increased revenues, improved customer satisfaction and helped reduced churn to assist BSKYB’s core television distribution business reach its growth objectives. Prior to BSKYB, Mr. O’Hara worked for Fox Cable Networks and its predecessor, Fox/Liberty Networks. As Director of Business Development, he helped launch the Regional Sports Report on 17 Fox Sports Nets. Additionally, he worked on rights acquisitions/partnerships such as NASCAR, ACC basketball, Major League Baseball and various regional sports buys that aired on FSN, FX, Speedvision and Fox Sports. He also assisted the senior management at Fox Cable Networks in network-related operational analysis evaluating growth opportunities and efficiency measures. Finally, he focused on extending the Fox brands through new media initiatives via the internet and interactive TV. Earlier in his career, Mr. O’Hara worked in brand management with Nestle and was an entertainment management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. O’Hara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Stanford University and received a Masters of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. He and his wife Victoria reside in Los Angeles, California. Stuart Rohrer, Vice President, New Media & Interactive Television, MagRack, Rainbow Media: As Vice President, New Media and Interactive Television for Mag Rack, Stuart Rohrer has been instrumental in launching Mag Rack to an audience that is estimated to reach 2 million subscribers by the end of 2003. In his current role, Rohrer oversees the development and operation of Mag Rack's VOD set-top interfaces for each of its cable system partners, as well as the packaging and delivery of video magazines and "metadata" (titles, descriptions, graphics and other elements). He also monitors VOD industry and technology trends to help set strategic plans for future development. During 20 years as a producer and product development executive in new media, Stuart Rohrer has created, designed or refined more than 25 interactive products and services for consumers. His previous work with health care, travel, personal investment, and entertainment products has appeared on dozens of Internet sites, on America Online and early online services CompuServe and Prodigy, and on CD-ROM. Mr. Rohrer began his career as a features editor at The Washington Post, where he discovered interactive publishing during a venture in 1983 on CompuServe. He has held management positions at TradingNews Inc., News Corp./MCI Internet Ventures and The New York Times Co., and has worked extensively as a consultant to companies including American Express Publishing, Barron's Online, c|net, Microsoft Corporation, Ogilvy & Mather Interactive and others. JOHN P. ROBERTS, Senior Vice President, Interactive, and Online Entertainment, Game Show Network: iTV pioneer and the visionary behind the 2002 launch of Game Show Network’s (GSN) ground breaking interactive television services, John P. Roberts brings to GSN a rich background in developing new technologies for the high-speed, broadband universe. While fostering industry-wide acceptance of new interactive technology applications, Roberts has positioned GSN a new era of high-speed, broadband entertainment. As senior vice president of interactive and online entertainment, Roberts and his team have created a futuristic template for cable and satellite TV distributors to offer more innovative interactive services to their customers. His relationship with the interactive arm of the MSO’s complements that of GSN’s affiliate sales team and helps complete the package of available GSN services. Tying the launch of GSN’s interactive services with the launch of a half-dozen original game show series, the network now features 84 hours per week of interactive TV (iTV) programming. Remarkably, in one year’s time, the number of iTV users registering as GSN interactive players has increased from 6,000 to over 1 million strong. In addition to Roberts’ duties producing the interactive programming, he is also charged with overseeing GSN’s website, gameshownetwork.com, including the production of multi-player Shockwave games. Of GSN’s four television multi-player games, the most popular is the newest, LINGO PLUS, a five-letter word-guessing-game tailored after GSN’s popular primetime counterpart. Prior to joining Game Show Network in June 2001, Roberts was senior vice president of internet and iTV development at Vulcan Programming II, a division of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Vulcan Ventures. He was responsible for the development, supervision and implementation of interactive and convergence strategies for Vulcan’s digital cable networks and other Internet-based Web programming content. Previously, Roberts served as vice president of new media for Fox Family Worldwide, Inc., where he oversaw all aspects of Internet development for the networks’ websites including foxkids.com and foxfamilychannel.com. Additionally, Roberts spearheaded the Fox Family convergence task force, which explored opportunities in interactive television. His background includes business development at Universal Studios New Media Group, where he set up strategic relationships with outside partners and brought in new business for the online production group. For Fox Broadcasting Company, Roberts created the corporate online department and supervised the launch of the network’s website. Additionally, he was part of the marketing team that launched the cable channel FX, for which he also oversaw the premiere of network website launch. A frequent speaker on new media, Roberts has appeared on panels at the American Television Academy, the National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE), and Digital Hollywood conferences, among others. He also recently served as a judge for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) first-ever interactive Emmy Award and is a member on the organizing committee for the cable television’s Western Show. He also serves on the advisory boards for Digital Coast Roundtable and Interactive Television Alliance (ITA). A native of Rochester, New York, Roberts graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in TV and film production from the State University of New York, Fredonia. Rob Hayes, VP of New Media, Showtime Networks: In April 2001, Hayes assumed the position of Vice President of New Media for Showtime Networks. In this position, he is responsible for overseing all of the company’s online production, content and business development. In addition, he is responsible for productional elements related to the company’s interactive television (ITV) and personal video recorder (PVR) efforts, as well as other emerging technologies. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Business Development and was responsible for the company’s investment strategies. He was also instrumental in the expansion and launch of Showtime’s digital multiplexes including SHOWTIME NEXT, SHOWTIME WOMEN and SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE. Before that, he was Vice President, International Business Development, Showtime Networks Inc., and was responsible for assessing distribution opportunities for SHOWTIME and other SNI brands in the international marketplace, developing and refining business plans and negotiating programming agreements with program suppliers. He joined the company as Director of International Business Development in 1995. Hayes joined Showtime Networks from Home Box Office where he most recently served as Manager of Programming, based in Prague, Czech Republic. Before that, he worked out of Home Box Office's New York headquarters where he served as Manager of International Business Development and worked on the launch of HBO Asia and HBO Hungary. Prior to joining Home Box Office in 1990, Hayes was an Account Executive at MSP Communications based in London. Hayes received his M.B.A. in International Business from American University in Washington, D.C and his B.A. degree in Marketing from Stockton State College in Pomona, New Jersey. He works out of the company's New York headquarters. Brian Seth Hurst is CEO of The Opportunity Management Company a strategic consultancy dedicated to helping clients maximize opportunities brought about when technologies bring about changes in consumer lifestyles. The company does this through brand extension business strategies, relationship brokerage and media partnerships. Mr. Hurst is responsible for developing and implementing strategies and business models that enable clients to take advantage of the emerging digital landscape by extending their brands and programming across platforms in traditional and new media. Mr. Hurst has overseen brand and convergent projects for clients such as TiVo, Discovery Health, Discovery Networks Europe, British Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Gameplay, OpenTV, Mindport, NTL, CTV and Intertainer. Prior to his position at TOMC, Inc., Mr. Hurst was Managing Director of Convergent Media Worldwide for Pittard Sullivan where he developed the very first cross platform brand strategy for TV GUIDE. Mr. Hurst’s media experience includes stints as on-air talent and traditional television production to broadband and connected game consoles. He is considered a pioneer in the area of "Integrated Entertainment" whereby sound business models support content mapping into an overall multi-access experience based on the lifestyles of consumers. Integral to this process has been TOMC’s Media Partnerships Group, which assists advertisers and their agencies in reaching consumers through integrated marketing and product placement across platforms. Mr. Hurst is a member the Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmy’s) and as Chair of Interactive Media Peer Group Emmy Awards Committee was a driving force behind the establishment of the new Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Television Programming. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Producers Guild of America New Media Council and as a mentor for the AFI Enhanced Television Workshop. Mr. Hurst is the co-author with Olivia Newton-John of Simon and Schuster’s best selling children’s book, "A Pig Tale". He holds a BS degree from George Washington University in International Politics.